Councillor Philip Willoughby admits council is bankrupt

But while Ellis looks to the Council to pay up, Councillor responsible for Sanitation, Phillip Willoughby, says the problem is also the citizens’ fault.

Philip Willoughby, Councillor responsible for Sanitation
“Then I say if in fact that is the case, then we turn around and say to the residents of the city and to the business community that you have to ensure that you pay your taxes because you are only the medium by which we collect the revenues that we disburse as how we regulate and run this city. So the money has to come from somewhere. It’s not just the council has money or we print money. At this point in time we aren’t able to pay B.M.L.”

Marion Ali
“How indefinite is this situation? And wasn’t the payment something that the you all had agreed to, wasn’t it a renewed contract between this current Council and B.M.L.?”

Philip Willoughby
“Whilst putting together budget figures and looking forward with estimates you always do this based on projections. Of what we would determine would be revenues and if that doesn’t materialized then…”

Marion Ali
“These revenues were to be from what?”

Philip Willoughby
“Across the bard from the various revenue ends for the council.”

Marion Ali
“Why haven’t they been realized?”

Philip Willoughby
“I can’t speak definitively to a particular department or the persons to execute but to those ends I have been appraised and briefed that those monies that were forecasted hasn’t materialized and that’s where we are now. It is our responsibility one not to litter the streets. It’s our responsibility; parents, children, young people, all of us businesses especially.”

Marion Ali
“But your expectations of all of that and people being more civic minded will not happen by Friday. I’m simply asking does the Council have the money to pay B.M.L. this Friday?”

Philip Willoughby
“When we get to Friday—I can appraise you on what is the fiscal position based on the cash flow.”

Willoughby says the Council is now boosting collection efforts in the revenues department.